Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to issue guidance to clinicians working with clinically extremely vulnerable children on when it is appropriate to administer a covid-19 vaccine.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities that require residential care should be offered a COVID-19 vaccination. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in those aged 16-17 years old.
Children under 16 years of age, even if they are clinically extremely vulnerable, are at low risk of serious morbidity and mortality and given the absence of safety and efficacy data on the vaccine, are not recommended for vaccination. The JCVI has not yet provided any further advice on children under the age of 12 years old. Any further recommendations on vaccinating children with other underlying conditions will be reviewed after the initial phase. At this stage additional data should allow a better assessment of risks and benefits.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to February 2021 research into the risks of aerosolisation of SARS-CoV-2 from oxygen delivery systems and coughing, if he will review the NHS infection prevention and control guidance and expand the situations in which an FFP3 mask should be used by workers.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The United Kingdom-wide Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Cell recently reviewed the evidence in relation to the transmission route for COVID-19 and the IPC precautions required and agreed that no changes to the current personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements were needed. PPE, including FFP3 masks should continue to be worn in line with the current IPC guidance.
Emerging evidence and data are continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance will be amended accordingly if needed.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to introduce regular repeat covid-19 tests for domiciliary care workers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
On 23 November 2020, we began offering Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered domiciliary care organisations access to regular, weekly COVID-19 testing for their carers looking after people in their own homes.
Those working for CQC-registered organisations are able to access weekly polymerase chain reaction tests to administer at home, which will help identify more asymptomatic cases and protect care recipients who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Proactively testing asymptomatic carers helps to identify those who unknowingly have the virus and enables those who test positive and their contacts to self-isolate. This is crucial to break the chains of transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making regular repeat covid-19 tests available to domiciliary care users.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Home care workers employed by Care Quality Commission-registered organisations are able to access weekly PCR tests, which can be self-administered at home. This will help identify whether any home care workers have COVID-19 asymptomatically.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the Units of Dental Activity Targets for dental practices in response to the January 2021 covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Jo Churchill
NHS England and NHS Improvement have set a 45% dental activity target. This target is based upon clinical advice and modelling from the office of the Chief Dental Officer and has taken into consideration robust adherence to infection prevention and control guidance and social distancing requirements. Furthermore, data on the percentages of activity dental practices have achieved to date supports the view that the target can be safely attainable.
National Health Service commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate and the reinstatement of shielding during the national lockdown. There are currently no plans to review or change the unit of dental activity targets for January to March 2021.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the residents of Brighton and Hove will have access to a local covid-19 testing site following the closure of the AMEX stadium regional test centre on 25 August 2020.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
As of 22 January we have opened three local test sites in Brighton at the East Brighton Park Tennis Courts; the disused school site at the junction of Mile Oak Road; and Preston Park on Preston Road
These are part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities including 86 drive-through sites, 458 walk-through sites, 19 satellite test sites, 258 mobile testing units, home testing and satellite kits and six lighthouse laboratories.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on the trials of covid-19 vaccines in children aged 12 to 15 years old.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have approved one United Kingdom vaccine trial that includes the 12-15-year age group.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of conducting covid-19 tests on incoming university students this winter, in areas with low current infection rates where testing has been de-prioritised.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
We have quickly established walk-through sites and deployed mobile test sites so that almost every university student now has access to testing within one and a half miles when displaying symptoms. In cases of outbreaks we are working with universities to deliver large batches of home test kits which can then be distributed to students isolating in their households or halls of residence to test themselves. Use of multiple new testing technologies for asymptomatic students could significantly improve our detection of positive cases and further reduce the spread of the virus
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date ordinarily resident EU nationals will be able to apply for the new UK EHIC card.
Answered by Edward Argar
A new United Kingdom European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) has been developed for those eligible under the Withdrawal Agreement to protect the existing healthcare rights of people living, working and studying in the European Union prior to the end of the transition period. The new card will be valid from when it is received and for travel from 1 January 2021.
EU nationals living in the UK before 31 December 2020 will be able to apply for the new UK EHIC in December 2020. We will work with stakeholders and target communications at the relevant groups and audiences to ensure they get the call to action to apply for a new EHIC.
Should an EU national who is eligible for a new EHIC under the Withdrawal Agreement not have the card in time for any travel, they will still remain covered. If they require necessary healthcare whilst in the EU, they will be able to ask for a Provisional Replacement Certificate from the NHS Business Services Authority.